79 cases of H3N2 were reported in Puducherry, health department said- be alert

Puducherry has so far reported 79 cases of influenza belonging to the viral H3N2 subtype. A health official gave this information on Monday. In a press release, the union territory's director of medical services G Sriramulu said the figure is as of March 4. He said that there has been no death due to the virus here so far.

Advising the people not to panic, the official said that the health department has made arrangements in hospitals and primary health centers to monitor the rising cases. He said that special booths have been opened in Out Patient Departments (OPD) in hospitals and treatment is also available for people with symptoms of influenza virus.

"We have taken all preventive steps to ensure that the virus does not spread," Sriramulu said. However, he said that an ICMR report said that the H3N2 cases would come down by the end of March.According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), H3N2 is a non-human influenza virus that commonly circulates in pigs and infects humans. Symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal flu virus and may include fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms including body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.